


Boy/friend?

by rollingday_s



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: AU, Comedy, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 10:35:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10554894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rollingday_s/pseuds/rollingday_s
Summary: Jun doesn’t even know what this ‘thing’ with Aiba is, but he knows that he’ll be one step closer to ‘it’ being a good thing if he finds the perfect gift for Aiba’s birthday.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Arashi don't belong to me etc, etc. Previously posted on LJ for Aiba's birthday in 2016. Inspired by the prompt ‘maybe’ from my prompt table [here](http://rollingdayscomm.livejournal.com/7540.html).

Jun doesn’t even know what this ‘thing’ with Aiba is, but he knows that he’ll be one step closer to ‘it’ being a _good_ thing if he finds the perfect gift for Aiba’s birthday.

    It’s been two months of peppering kisses, interlacing fingers, and drowning in heartbeats, and still _he doesn’t know_. What are they? Friends who kiss each other? Boyfriends? Just fooling around? Jun doesn’t know and it’s driving him crazy.

    Actually, it was Aiba who made the first move that one day at the gym they both went to. He waited for him in the locker-room and told him – no, not told him, just… kind of hinted? – that he liked _liked_ Jun. And Jun freaked out of course, but not for the reason Aiba might have thought.

    It took him the whole weekend, and then another five days, before he could admit to himself and to Aiba that yes, he liked _liked_ Aiba too. And from then on it had been shy touches and embarrassed giggles and uncertain brushes of lips, but nothing _more_ than that. No real talks either.

    And Jun can’t wait any more.

    It’s just that every time he tries to talk to Aiba about it, he seems to lose his courage. He doesn’t even know what he’s afraid of – or rather, he knows all too damn well. He’s had that dream countless times now: he asks Aiba to go steady, and he laughs in his face and calls him stupid. Now, Jun knows Aiba would never do that – it is Aiba after all, ever so caring and mindful of others – but he just can’t seem to do it either way.

    He once even told Sho – and what waste of time had that been.

    Sho is great. Jun loves Sho. He is probably his best friend after Aiba and their undefined relationship. But the guy can be so useless sometimes.

    Ask him about politics: awesome. Ask him about managing your finances: great. Ask him about what food is the best to get from that unknown take-out literally in the middle of nowhere: jackpot. But ask the guy about relationships and see him lose his cool in the blink of an eye.

    And it’s not like Sho hadn’t _tried_ to help him, no. But his every idea is simply ridiculous, right down to the suggestion that Jun should write Aiba a love letter like some schoolgirl in eighth grade. (And okay, maybe he did write the stupid letter, but it’s not like he will ever give it to Aiba willingly. _That_ would definitely grant him a laugh in his face.)

    So it’s the 24th of December, Aiba’s birthday, and Jun still doesn’t have a present for him, as well as not knowing where the heck they stand. But then again, he thinks, he can’t just go and buy Aiba a present without knowing what they are, can he? What if he gets him, say, a non-committal t-shirt, and Aiba’s expectations are so much higher, and he ends up blowing whatever it is that could or could not be between the two of them? Or worse, what if he gets him something totally awesome and boyfriend-worthy, and Aiba freaks out and thinks Jun’s a creep, and he ends up blowing whatever it is that… you know the drill.

    So he had asked Nino, Aiba’s best friend, to help out, _but of course_ , it had been a total waste of time. Nino had agreed to help, _but of course_ he wanted something back for his trouble. He really should have seen it coming – Nino has a great nose for business after all.

    Then again, he really wonders why it would be so important for Nino that he picks up some sort of box in his stead and brings it back to the park today of all days.

    “Go stand under the willow tree at five. Don’t forget the box and don’t be late,” he had told him over the phone, ending the call without giving Jun the slightest chance to reply. Jun hates Nino so much that he’s sure that the only reason why the guy is alive and he hasn’t killed him yet is that Aiba would be inconsolable if he turned up dead one day. And he hates to see Aiba sad.

    He pushes open the door to the shop where Nino had told him to go.

    “Uhm, hello?” he says. Is there even anyone here?

    The shelves are lined up with different things that don’t seem to follow a logic known to man. There’s blankets and pillows on one corner, but tubes of paint and blank canvases on the other, with some iron bars and bricks in between. Just _what_ does this place even sell?

    Just when he’s about to turn on his heels and run away – not because the sight of the highly realistic skull on his left had him freaking out, of course – Jun hears a voice coming from behind him.

    “Matsumoto Jun-san, is it?”

    Jun turns around. The source of the noise is a small man sitting on the floor in the middle of a colourful spread of Christmas ornaments. He’s holding a clear glass ball in his hand, and a thin brush in the other. He isn’t looking at him as he makes the brush in his hand shift in a sinuous movement to add a flick of colour to the glass.

    “That would be me,” Jun answers hesitantly. “And you are?”

    The man gently places the glass ball in a container in front of him and gets up to go stand behind the counter. “Ohno Satoshi,” he says, and bows his head a little. “The Brigadier told me you were coming.”

    Jun is taken aback. “The—what!?”

    Ohno chuckles, amused. “Sorry, I forget he only uses that name online. I meant Nino.”

    “Oh.” Jun nods. Ohno must be a gamer too, he thinks. “He told me I should pick up some kind of box for him?”

    Ohno hums affirmatively and grabs a box from under the counter. It’s a pretty wooden box, no doubt handmade, with a sleigh and some reindeers on it. It’s simple, but at the same time nothing short of a work of art, and Jun is left speechless.

    He brushes a thumb over it. “It’s beautiful.”

    Ohno smiles sheepishly. “Thank you, Matsumoto-san.”

    Jun lifts his head. “You did this?” Ohno nods. “You’re a great artist.”

    Ohno thanks him again. “Be careful, it’s fragile,” he says, handing him the box, and a blank envelope. “So, how will you pay?”

    Jun’s eyes pop. “Didn’t Nino already pay for this?”

    Ohno shakes his head.

    “Great, of course he hasn’t,” he mumbles.

    He almost cries when Ohno tells him the price, but he manages to let out only a small whimper that he successfully disguises with a cough. He has a dignity after all.

 

Jun barely makes it to the park by five, and his mood sinks even more when he sees that Nino isn’t there yet. He picks up his phone and sends him a text, but when he sees that he still hasn’t answered after the first five seconds, he just calls him instead.

    “Hello?” says the voice on the other line.

    “Where are you?” Jun sputters angrily. He can hear the soft tapping of keys on Nino’s end.

    “Hmm, home, under the blankets. Should I tell you what I’m wearing too? Is this what it is? _You naughty boy_ ,” he says in a seductive voice.

    “Cut the crap, Nino, I’m waiting under the willow tree with your stupid box like you said.” Jun is cold, he still has to buy a present for his maybe-friend-maybe-boyfriend Aiba, and Nino is not being helpful at all, so the thought of killing him sounds very tempting right now. Maybe he should really do it. Aiba will forgive him. One day.

    “It’s not my fault if that idiot is always late, is it? Hey, next time you could buy him a watch.”

    “What? What are you talking about?”

    Nino sighs. “Seriously, Matsumoto, you and Aiba are made for each other. I should start calling you the idiot pair. Don’t forget to sign the card. Merry Christmas,” he chirps, hanging up.

    “Wait, Nino!” Jun yells, but it’s too late.

    _‘What did he mean with that?’_ He picks up the envelope and opens it. Inside, there’s a card framed with a drawing of green and red balls tied together with a golden ribbon. Right in the centre, the words Happy Birthday are written in a beautiful calligraphy. Jun can’t help but smile a little as he finally understands. Maybe he won’t kill Nino just yet.

    He manages to sign the card and slip it back inside just in time when he hears Aiba calling him.

    “Jun-kun!” he yells, running towards him.

    Aiba stops a few steps from him, and bends forward with his hands on his knees, panting.

    “Aiba-kun? Are you okay?” Jun asks, concerned.

    “I’m sorry,” Aiba says while gasping for air. “Nino told me to meet you at five, but the bus broke down in the middle of the street, so I had to run all the way here.”

    “It’s okay,” Jun says. “I just got here myself.”

    Aiba straightens up and smiles at him, and it’s Jun’s turn to feel breathless now.

    “Not that I’m not happy to see you,” Aiba starts, his breathing steadying, “but I thought we were all supposed to have dinner together later?”

    Jun nods. “I wanted to see you to give you this,” he says, a little embarrassed. “It’s your birthday present.”

    Aiba’s eyes lighten up. “You remembered!”

    “Of course I did,” Jun chuckles. “How could I not remember my boyfr—” he stutters and blushes. “I mean, your birthday.”

    Aiba’s smile widens as Jun hands him his present. His thumb brushes over the painting the same way Jun’s did earlier. He lifts the lid of the box carefully and gasps at the content.

    “Jun-kun…” he looks at him with tears in his eyes.

    Jun starts to panic. _‘What!? What the heck is in that box!? Why is Aiba crying!?’_

    “Aiba-kun, I can explain—” he starts, but his words are cut off by Aiba’s lips on his.

    Confused, but certainly pleased by the whole development, he feels himself giving in to the kiss in mere seconds. He hums contentedly at the way Aiba giggles on his lips, pushing him against the willow tree. He lets his hands slide on Aiba’s chest, pulling him even closer by the collar of his coat.

    There’s nothing clumsy in this kiss, and he can’t believe it’s really happening. They’ve spent two months stuck in a ‘maybe’ of awkward touches and unspoken words, and now, all of a sudden, _this_. The ‘maybe’ still hangs in the air, but Jun is certainly feeling more hopeful now, more confident. The cold he felt until five seconds ago has completely disappeared, and all that’s left is Aiba’s warmth, his lips, his tongue, his hands, and Aiba, Aiba, _Aiba_.

    When they break apart, he can still taste him on his lips, and his heart is still beating like crazy. He has to know, right now, or he feels like he could explode.

    “Do you want to be my boyfriend?” he blurts out before he can change his mind.

    Aiba giggles. “What are you talking about?”

    Jun’s heart breaks a little at those words. It’s just like his dream, only worse, because it’s real.

    Just when he thinks he can’t stop himself from crying right there, in front of the guy he’s so hopelessly in love with and who just told him that he doesn’t want to be his boyfriend, Aiba grabs his present from the box.

    “Wasn’t my kiss a clear enough answer?”

    Jun blinks away his tears. Aiba is holding a glass ball by its ribbon. There’s a snowy landscape painted on it, and two people dressed in green and purple holding hands while looking at the scenery. The words “Our first Christmas” are gracefully drawn across the glass. It’s certainly cheesy and gross, and Jun will definitely kick Nino when he sees him, but it’s beautifully done, and Aiba’s smile is totally worth it.

    Jun smiles back, a little embarrassed. Aiba’s giggles echo in the air as he takes his hand in his and pulls him so they can walk together.

    “So,” he says after a while, “was it Nino who helped out?”

    Jun turns around in shock. “How did you know? I mean—” he bows his head, “I’m sorry, Aiba-kun. I didn’t know what to get you so I asked Sho-kun but he was useless, so I went to Nino and he told me to get that box without telling me anything, but I’m sorry, I didn’t know what we were and what would be good so—”

    Aiba laughs and he lifts his head. “Jun-kun. You’re adorable,” Aiba says, and presses a kiss on his lips. “Did you write me a love letter too, like Sho-kun suggested?”

    Jun doesn’t ask how he knows. “Did not!” he yells.

    “Oh, really?” Aiba says innocently. He reaches into the pocket of his coat and pulls something out. “Then why did Sho-kun come over to mine this morning and gave me this saying it’s from you?”

    This is the last time Jun ever asks his friends for help, he thinks while his ears flush red as Aiba launches into a dramatic recital of his passionate love letter.

    “Oh, come on, Jun-chan,” Aiba chuckles after reading that last line about _‘wanting to share his heartbeats with him’_ for the third time. “I was just teasing you.” He smiles, but there’s something different in his eyes now. Jun’s heart stops for a second when Aiba’s hand brushes his cheek. “But I was thinking… maybe I’d like to get another present from you that I _definitely_ don't want to get from Nino or Sho.”

    Jun nods slowly as he sees the desire in his eyes reflected in Aiba’s. “Think you can handle that?” he asks with false security, trying to get the upper-hand. He’s not going to let Aiba win every time, is he?

    Aiba smirks, and Jun immediately knows the answer to that. But it isn’t until later, when he ends up a hot mess in Aiba’s chest, listening to his own rushed breath and his boyfriend’s giggles filling the room that he admits to himself that, yeah, Aiba Masaki is always going to win.

    He regains a bit of breath, just enough to let out a whisper. “Happy birthday, Aiba-kun.”

    Aiba’s chest vibrates under his laugh. “Definitely happy birthday to me,” he says as he pulls Jun close.

    Aiba kisses him gently, and Jun gladly gives in. Somehow, they run out of time because someone just couldn't _not_ cuddle for an entire hour, and they needed to get ready because their friends would be there soon.

    Jun glances up. 7:30 pm. He gently nudges Aiba and they reluctantly disentangle themselves to get in the shower. They manage to get dressed and look presentable just a second before the doorbell rings, and the first guest comes in.

    When everyone arrives, they all sit together in the living room, laughing and chattering. Aiba’s laugh sounds louder somehow, now that Jun knows that it’s _his_ without any doubt. He turns around. The lights from the Christmas tree blink softly. The glass ball Jun has given Aiba is on the front for everyone to see, and the lights sparkle on the smooth surface. He blushes slightly at the thought that everyone in the room must think he's a mushy boyfriend.

    But then he sees Aiba's smile as their fingers intertwine, and that's when he decides that maybe, just _maybe_ , he doesn’t mind after all.


End file.
